Folding ironing table



vJuly 22,1941.

c. w. SADENWATER FOLDING IRONING TABLE Filed Mal-km 15. 1939 INVENTOR(M452 5.; M Jflflf/VWATf/F ATTORNEY.

Patented July 22, 1941 FFlC FOLDING IRONING TABLE Charles W. Sadenwater,Saginaw, Mich, assignor to Saginaw Manufacturing 00., Saginaw, Mich, acorporation-f Michigan Application March 15, 1939, Serial No. 2611897(or. ss 117) 2 Claims.

This invention relates to folding ironing'tables and pertains moreparticularly to the structure and mode of operation of the centrallyarranged front leg which is hinged to the table top, and

to the folding member associated with that leg.

More specifically, my improved front .leg structure is adapted to beused with a folding ironing table of the kind disclosed and claimed inUnited States Patent No. 1,628,773, issued May 17, 1927, and PatentsNos. 1,627,556 and 1,627,557, issued May 10, 1927, to Henry J. Gilbert.

In that patented structure the centrally arranged front leg consists ofa shaft hinged to the table top. It is long enough to reach the frontend of the board when the leg is folded fiat against the lower face ofthe board. When erected, however, the fron-t'leg touches the floor at aplace so far'from'the end of the board as to leave a considerable lengthof the board overhung, that is, projecting ahead ofthe point where thefront leg rests on thefioor.

Stability of the board in use depends upon the spread of the'threesupporting legs, and also upon the amount of forward overhang of theboard. It is desirable, therefore, to have thefcot of the front leg asfar forward as possible when the table is erected, although the leg whenfolded flat against the board should not project beyond the front end ofthe board.

An object of my invention is to provide a front 3 legstructure which,although in general following the mode of operation disclosed in thesaid Gilbert patent, distinguishes therefrom by automaticallylengthening when moved from folded to the erected position, and. byautomatically shortening when moved in the opposite Sense. The effect ofsuch lengthening is .to increase the length of effective supporting basedefined by the legs on the floor and to so improve the rigidityandstability of the table in use. The effect of shortening is toautomatically keep the front leg within the lengthof the board forconvenience in packing and handling. 7

My invention also relates to certain details of Fig. 3 is a fragmentaryview in perspective, showing the slidable sleeve on the front leg; andFig. 4 is a fragmentary diagrammatic View of the telescopic connectionbetween the front leg and the extension member for the leg.

The ironing board I, like that shown in Patent No. 1,628,773, hassecured to its under side a front bearing member 2, to which is pivotedthe front .leg 3 of the supporting structure. A rear bearing member 4has the spreading rear legs 5, 5 pivoted to it independently. The frontleg and rear legs are connected together by a pair of connecting rods 6,6 which are both pivotally connected at I, 'l' to opposite sides of thefront leg 3 near its outer end, and are also pivoted respectively to therear legs at intermediate points of the latter by means of pivot pins 8,8. The proportions and arrangements of the parts are such that in foldedposition the legs and connecting rods will lie flat against the lowerface of the board, as shown in Fig. 2, and in extended position willoccupy the position shown in Hg. 1.

To keep the foldable structure in extended position and also to brace ita pair of locking truss rods 9, 9 are provided. These rods have theirrear ends pivotedat 8, 8 to the rear legs 5, 5, respectively.

The truss rods 9, 9 are pivoted at their front Iend-s to opposite sidesof a sleeve 16 slidingly mounted for lengthwise movement along the frontleg 3, Preferably, a wall of sleeve to is cut away as shown'at ,Fig. 3.

Y The front leg 3 is preferably of channel shaped cross section, theopen side [2; of the channel being directed rearwardly and matching theabove mentioned cut away part of the sleeve. As shown in Fig. 2 thechannel I2 receives compactly a diagonal brace I 4 which will bedescribed presently. The front leg is releasably maintained in itsextended position by means of a suitable spring latch Illa. that engagesthe sleeve 10 in known manner and holds it and the truss rods 9, 8 atthe upperend of the'leg 3, Fig. 1.

r The structure so far described is substantially 7 mesh into the kerfin the channel.

member I3 is the foot of leg 3.

Intermediate the projecting portion of the member I3 a diagonal brace I4is pivoted, as shown in Fig. 1. The end of the brace I4 is received inthe channel of the extension member I3, being secured thereto by a pivotI5.

The-upper end of the diagonal brace I4 is hinged to the board I at apoint rearward of the hinge connection 2 of the front leg.

In Figs. 1 and 2 I have shown the diagonal brace I4 hinged at I6 to thebracket 4 that carries the rear legs 5, 5. This is a desirablearrangement, although the hinge I6 may be forward of the rear leg hinge,or rearward thereof, if desired. .The member I3 when fully extended fitsthe front leg 3 closely.

front leg 3. The bottom end of the extension table than otherwise couldbe provided with a non-extensible front leg structure.

In erected position the supports are held rigidly in place by triangularstructures comprising the connecting rods 6, 6, and the locking trussrods 9, 9, the diagonal brace I4 and the legs.

With my improved extension member I3 and diagonal brace I4 the extensionmember will be However, the construction is such that as soon as memberI3 is pushed back a short distance into the channel-like leg 3, it Willbecome entirely free to slide without binding. For that purpose I makethe walls I1, I! of the front leg 3 parallel for a considerable part ofits length, but taper the two side walls I8, I8 inward at the lower endof the leg 3. The 'upper portion of the extension member I3 which isreceived in the channel of the front leg is also tapered inwardly towardits lower end, as indicated at I9, I9, Fig. 4, and

the bottom projectable portion is straight sided. By this arrangementthe tapered part I9 of the extension member I3 will fit the tapered"part I8 of the front leg snugly when the exten- The channel comprisingthe leg 3 is of such length that when it is is folded flat against theunder side of the board I it will extend from hinge 2 substantially tothe front end 2| of the board. See Fig. 2. But the pivotal point I6 ofthe diagonal brace I4 is located so that when the supports are foldedagainst the board the extension member of the leg 3 will have beenpulled telescopically into the leg to bring the outer end of theextension member I3 substantially even with the end 2I of the board.Thus the leg 3 automatically is increased in length by the action of thediagonal brace I4 whenever the leg is V 7 brought to its extendedposition, and the leg is locked rigidly in its extended position, sincethe diagonal brace acts as a tie-rod or strut, yet the table can befolded easily. The diagonal brace I4 occupies the channel presented bythe front leg 3 and extension I3 when the table is folded, making a thincompact package.

Although the preferred embodiment of the invention has been described,it will be understood that the invention may be embodied in other formswithin the scope of the following claims.

The rear legs 5, 5, when erected, may be spread and rigidly sustainedagainst racking tendencies caused by lateral stresses to which the tablemay be subjected in use, by connecting them with diagonally crossed bars22, 22 that spread the legs when the table supports are extended andcontract thelegs within the boundaries of the side edges of theboard Iwhen folded.

The structure and mode of operation of these cross bars is described andclaimed in United States Patent No. 2,042,075 issued to me May 26, 1936.

The location of the diagonal bars is shown in Fig. 2, but is omittedfrom Fig. 1 for the sake of clearness.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim and desire to secure byLetters Patent is:

1. An extension device for the hinged front leg of a folding ironingtable, comprising in combination, an extension member associatedtelescopically with the free end of said front leg and comprising aparallel sided portion and a portion tapered inwardly toward the freeend of the front leg, said leg being provided adjacent its free end withportions matching the said inwardly tapered portion of the extensionmember, a hinge located on the table rearwardly of the front leg hinge,a diagonal brace having an end secured to said rear hinge, the other endof said brace Being pivotally connected to said extension mem- 2. Anextension device for the hinged front leg of a folding ironing table,comprising in combination, an extension member associated telescopicallywith the free end of said front leg, a hinge located on the tablerearwardly of the front leg hinge in an axial plane containing the frontleg, a diagonal brace having an end secured to said rear hinge, theother end of said brace being pivotally connected to said extensionmember, said front leg being of channelshaped cross-section andpresenting when in folded position an open side outwardly directed,being adapted to receive the said diagonal brace within such openchannel.

CHARLES W. SADENVVATER.

